"fans," Ryan, and Pitino.

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

Yeah, whatever.  I do agree, though, that Ryan was
pretty good today, his first Celtics column all
season.  I expected him to come down on Antoine and
Pitino, and he really was reasonable and fair.  That
was a pleasant surprise.  Speaking of Pitino, I don't
think there is another coach or executive in the
entire NBA that is more open with a microphone than
Pitino is.  He obviously has to spin occasionally to
raise trade value, but he clearly says what he's
thinking and feeling.  And he's extremely intelligent
and knowledgable.  He and Pat Riley give the best
press conference in the league.  What I find amazing
are the endless silences in between questions.  What
lazy bums the sportswriters must be to not be able to
think of questions to ask.  Can you imagine if we were
there?  A second wouldn't go by without a question
being asked.


--- Dan Parker  wrote:
> >                                 [The Boston Globe
> Online][Boston.com]
> >                                 [Boston Globe
> Online / Sports]
> 
> I think the Bob Ryan column summed up the booing the
> best.  Particularly:
> 
> "Antoine would not accept the fact that all the
> shoulder-wiggling and
> hot-dogging he indulged in during his first two
> years did not amuse his
> own fans. ... At his best, the fans have been
> tolerating him."
> 
> ... but I think this is even more relevant:
> 
> "What we now have at the Fleet is a fandom that
> pines for the old days;
> that loathes the truly insulting and irrelevant
> ''game presentation''
> that assumes you really haven't come for the
> game;..."
> 
> ... wrapped up nicely with:
> 
> "The real problem isn't Pitino, and it isn't Walker
> and it isn't the 14-24
> record. The real problem is that even if the Celtics
> were 24-14, or even
> 34-4, and on their way to the playoffs the fun we
> once knew in this
> league is gone. Our beloved game has been hijacked
> by some weird, alien
> force. It's all sadly wrong."
> 
> There is no reason for the Celtics to conform to the
> goofiness the rest of
> the NBA deems as necessary.  The C's do not need
> laser light shows,
> Stickman, shooting T-shirts into the stands, etc. 
> Only a marketsuit
> suit/haircut thinks this is a good idea.  I'd have a
> ball laughing at the
> other teams forced to go through such foolishness.
> 
> And from Peter May:
> 
> "''I've learned something this year,'' Pitino said
> after a practice at 
> Healthpoint. ''I never thought the fans would be
> this impatient. I'm kind
> of taken aback by it, because it was a lockout and
> we said all along that
> the third and fourth year is when we'll be there.''"
> 
> Well, Rick, I certainly don't presume to speak on
> behalf of all Celtics
> fans, but the feeling I've always gotten is that
> fans don't trust you.
> You say one thing, you mean another.  You're
> constantly talking out of the
> sides of your mouth.  You've made questionable deals
> with little to no
> explanation (i.e. Eric Williams).
> 
> I *really* think the ire from the fans is *not* from
> impatience, but more
> from watching the C's sleepwalk through March.  I
> mean, going through the
> motions for one game happens, and I think most
> understand that.  But
> everytime we thought they couldn't sink any lower,
> they did.  I mean, that
> was the worst concentrated stretch of bad basketball
> I've ever seen by the
> Celtics.  (Maybe it's normal for Clipper fans.)
> 
> If I was at a game I wouldn't boo.  But I see why
> it's happened and I
> don't think it's "wrong" either.
> 
> Dan
> 
> 

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